Submission to the Inquiry into Australia’s Human Rights Framework
The Castan Centre’s submission makes 25 specific recommendations and focuses on three areas through which Australia’s human rights framework can be strengthened.
24 July 2023
The Castan Centre for Human Rights Law’s submission to the Inquiry into Australia’s Human Rights Framework has been published by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights.
The submission was prepared by Castan Centre Research Fellow Scott Walker, Director Professor Melissa Castan and Deputy Director (Academic) Associate Professor Ronli Sifris.
The Castan Centre’s submission makes 25 specific recommendations and focuses on three areas through which Australia’s human rights framework can be strengthened:
- A Federal Human Rights Act based on a dialogue model, which recognises a full range of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights
- Strengthening the Australian Human Rights Commission
- Amendments to the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011 (Cth) to ensure adequate legislative scrutiny of human rights and reforms to bolster the work of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights.
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights must complete its Inquiry into Australia’s Human Rights Framework by 31 March 2024 and will hold public hearings across Australia in the coming months. Visit the Inquiry into Australia’s Human Rights Framework website to stay up-to-date on their work.
Castan Centre Academic Member Associate Professor Julie Debeljak prepared a separate submission to the Inquiry, which can be downloaded here.